JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Burnout syndrome is a chronic response to interpersonal stressors in the workplace. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion and physical and mental burnout and may lead to high employee turnover, work abstention, and increased occupational accidents. Most studies use the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to identify burnout and implement preventive actions and treatments.

Objective:

This study presents a scoping review protocol, developed following the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ Manual, to map studies using MBI and identify burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals working in public health services.

Methods:

We will conduct searches on Embase, Lilacs, Pub-Med/MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science databases, and grey literature. Inclusion criteria will comprise qualitative and quantitative studies using MBI to identify burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals working in public health services; studies published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish; and no publication date restriction. Data will be extracted using a spreadsheet adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively.

Results:

The first results of this review may be sent for publication in January 2023. They may also be useful to public health professionals, managers, policymakers, and the general population since they will help understand the validated, translated, and adapted versions of the MBI and domains, number of items, Likert scales, and cut-off points most used in the literature. Furthermore, possible research gaps may be identified to guide future studies.

Conclusions:

May standardize the assessment of burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals working in public health services and contribute to the discussion and knowledge dissemination about burnout syndrome and mental health in this population.